D-day for farmers at Tillage Forum

GALWAY grain farmers will find out later today (Thursday) whether an aid package will be forthcoming from the Dept. of Agriculture for growers who suffered huge losses due to last September’s disastrous weather.

The National Tillage Forum meets in Dublin today (3.30pm) but IFA sources have indicated that they are ‘hopeful to confident’ of an aid package being put in place for about 250 mainly Western Seaboard farmers, worst hit by the early-autumn weather crisis.

Last month, Galway East TD and Minister of State, Sean Canney, gave a clear indication that a package of measures would be outlined at the Tillage Forum, following talks he had with Agriculture Minister, Michael Creed.

Minister Canney said at the time ‘he had been assured’ by Minister Creed that the Tillage Forum would be used to set up a structure by which a support scheme could be devised, adding that he was confident the Minister would bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Galway IFA Grain Representative,John Daly, told the Farming Tribune, on Wednesday evening that he expected an aid package to be outlined at the Tillage Forum later today.